61-1.32 Biological safety officer; duties. The institution shall appoint a BSO if it engages in recombinant DNA activity at the P3 or P4 containment level. The officer shall be a member of the institutional biosafety committee (IBC). His or her duties shall include (but need not be limited to):

(a) ensuring through periodic inspections that laboratory standards are rigorously followed;

(b) reporting to the IBC and the institution all significant problems with and violations of this Subpart and all significant recombinant DNA activity-related accidents and illnesses of which the BSO becomes aware, unless the BSO determines that the principal investigator (PI) has done so;

(c) developing emergency plans for dealing with accidental spills and personnel contamination, and investigating recombinant DNA activity laboratory accidents;

(d) providing advice on laboratory security;

(e) providing technical advice to the PI and IBC on recombinant DNA activity safety procedures.

Note: See NIH Laboratory Safety Monograph for additional information on the duties of the BSO.